Out of the Shadows
by blackmagic0203
Summary: Touya Hikari is the second child of her family. She is compared constantly to her older brother and her parents show outright favoritism to him. How will she live her life? Mentions of abuse. Touya family is OOC.
1. Prologue

AN: This story is a major AU of Hikaru no Go. Most characters will act OCish and there will be some OCs.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go or anything related to it.

Summary: Touya Hikari is the second child of her family. She is compared constantly to her older brother and her parents show outright favoritism to him. How will she live her life?

The Touya family consists of three people who are each obsessed with Go in their own way. The father and head of the house Touya Kouyou( Touya Meijin) is a well known Go master holding the Meijin, Ouza, Gosei, and Judan titles. Touya Akira, who started holding Go stones at the tender age of 2, is considered a Go prodigy and someone many pros are looking out for. Touya Akiko, the wife and mother of the first two respectively, loved watching Go and often went to her husband or son's games.

They were a picture perfect family. Then on February 29th 2000, the fourth member of the Touya household was born. It was a joyous occasion but few knew about it except for the family and a few of the Meijin's students. All found it funny that the child's birthday landed on a day that only came once every 4 years. The husband and wife promised themselves that they would treat both children equally. They wouldn't forget their daughter and treat her like her birthday: forgotten for a few years and then remembered.

And thus, Touya Hikari was born, almost exactly 4 years after her brother.


	2. Chapter 1

AN: I'm thinking about adding some supernatural stuff in here later on and possibly making this a crossover.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go and probably never will.

"Dialogue"

'thoughts'

-2002-

A 2 year old looked out of her crib to see a stranger sitting by the door. She vaguely remembers hearing her mom call this person a "babysitter" The toddler giggles at the thought of her mommy. She hasn't seen her in a long time and wonders where she is. At that thought, Hikari begins to cry. The babysitter puts her book down and rushes to comfort the child. She sighs while rubbing the child's back in a soothing motion. 'So she wants her mom huh?' the sitter thought.

"shhh. Don't cry. How about I call your mommy and see when she comes home?" she said as she calms the child down. She reaches for a cell phone, dials the number, and waits.

**Ring Ring Ring**

"Hello?"

"Hi. Akiko-san, this is Mika. I was wondering if you were going to come home soon. Hikari-chan misses you."

"Oh Mika-chan, I'm sorry but Kouyou is still in the middle of his game and Akira doesn't want to leave yet. Do you think you can stay the night?"

"I think so but why?"

"The game will probably take a long time. Akira's young and it's not safe to travel at night."

"Can't you come home earlier? Hikari-chan was crying for you just now."

"I really can't. Don't you know how important this game is? Kouyou's defending his Meijin title and Akira is learning a lot. Before you know it, he'll be challenging his father for a title or two. Anyway, I want to be here as a family to show our support. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

"Bye"

Mika looks over at the now asleep Hikari and sighs once again. 'family huh? This kid doesn't cry as much as I've seen Akira whine. I don't see why they couldn't take her with them. Poor kid'

At 2 years old, Touya Hikari is like the average toddler with a height of 33 inches and a weight of 29 pounds. Instead of her brother's green tinted hair, her hair is raven black. Even at this age, any good observer would know that when she grows up, Hikari will be nothing less than beautiful. The most identifying part of her face would be her eyes: sparkling ocean blue orbs that can pierce through a person's soul.

At 2 years old, she spent her first night away from both her parents since she came back from the hospital.

At 2 years old, she fell asleep for the first time in a stranger's hands.

At 2 years old, her life of neglect began.

-2004-

4 year old Hikari is on an adventure. She has never been allowed into her big brother's room before. But, today she is going to find out what those shiny stones that she sometimes sees while on the way to her room are. Slowly, she opens the door and crawls inside. The first thing she sees is a big brownish box with legs in the middle of the room. There were stones all over the top. she remembers them from when she was a baby; her mommy would carry her and watch while her daddy and brother take turns at slamming stones down.

She looks intensely at the board and is mesmerized by the pattern of the stones; almost like a sea of white stars in the back night sky. On impulse and because she wants to be like her big brother and father, Hikari grabs a random stone on the board and picks it up. She slams it down in a different place and enjoys the sound it makes. She repeated the process, trying to put the stones in a way to make a shape.

Suddenly, the door slams open and she is pushed away roughly. There standing above her was Akira and he looked as pissed as an 8 year old could look.

"Look what you did! You messed up the game that I was replaying! What are you even doing in my room?" he yells.

"Sorry Nii-chan, I just wanted to play with the pretty stones. Look! I made it look prettier."

"You stupid kid! You ruined everything! Ever since you were born you just keep annoying me! I hate you! I wish you weren't my sister!" he screams.

The noise attracted the older Touyas to the room. The minute they walk in, Akira rushes to them and starts complaining: telling them how she broke into his room and not only destroyed his game, but also made his room messy. Hikari listened as his story got farther and farther away from the truth. 'I didn't break his toy; it was always like that. His room is never clean. Why is he telling them all these lies?' she thought.

He parents marched straight to her when they finished listening to the story. Anger and disappointment clear in their eyes. Then, they proceeded to yell at her. Asking her why she wasn't nicer to her brother. Why did she cause all this trouble? Didn't she want her brother to succeed and become a Go master like their father? They ranted and ranted while her mommy roughly grabbed her shoulders and shook her. And, never once did they ask for her side of the story. Never once did they ask if what Akira said was the truth.

In their eyes, their son was already labeled a prodigy and good child. They had 4 years to understand him. When Hikari was born, they were forced to divide their attention. Although they tried to spend time with their daughter in the beginning, they didn't manage to deviate from their previous schedule: which only had the three oldest Touyas factored in.

'Akira needs my attention right now. He needs my help so that his dream can come true. I'll make it up to Hikari when she's older' were the thoughts in Akiko's and Kouyou's minds. Because of that, they didn't understand her as well as her brother at the age of 4. At the age of 4, they considered their son to be perfect. At the age of 4, they saw their daughter as a troublemaker.

At 4 years old, Hikari touched a Go stone for the first time.

At 4 years old, her brother yelled at her for the first time.

At 4 years old, her parents treated her roughly for the first time.

At 4 years old, she began to wonder if her life was unfair.


	3. Chapter 2

AN: Do you guys think my grammar is ok? Do I need a beta? And I'm not even sure what a beta is for…. Haha.

AN2: Sai mosst likely won't be in this fanfic. But, there will be mentions of him and Shusaku later on. Also, this story won't focus as much on Go as it will on Hikari's life. But yeah, I think what's happening to her is kind of sad too. I think i have been influenced too much by those Harry Potter WBWL fics.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru no Go and probably never will.

* * *

-2005-

Hikari woke up early today feeling happy. Why? Because, today is February 28th: the day that her family usually celebrates her birthday on when it isn't a leap year. She jumped out of bed and thought about the presents she'd get while she did her morning routine. Like most young kids did, Hikari had been anxiously counting down the days till her birthday since the new year started.

She rushed out of her room and almost ran into her mom.

"Don't run in the house! And why are you making all that noise so early in the morning? Your father and brother need their sleep; they spent all day at a Go convention yesterday." her mom said.

"Sorry mommy, I'm just so happy and excited today!" Hikari replied as she ran towards the kitchen. She can't wait to see what kind of birthday breakfast her mommy made for her.

Back in the hallway, Akiko shook her head at her youngest child. 'Why is she so happy today? I hope she didn't wake anyone else up.' The lady of the house continued down the hall to finish the laundry.

In the kitchen, Hikari was confused. Instead of the wonderful birthday breakfast she imagined, the table only had what the family always ate in the morning: rice, some fish, and pickled vegetables. The 4 year old decided that her mommy was probably going to make her birthday dinner more special.

All throughout the day, she waited for someone in her family to wish her a happy early birthday and spend time with her. But, no one did. Her father spent the day teaching a Go study session at home. Hikari was never allowed to go near the room. Her brother, like her father's students, spent the day listening to the Meijin go over recently played games. Her mother spent the day making refreshments and cooking dinner.

Hikari's 4 year old mind rationalized that her family was going to throw her a surprise party. She thought that they hid her presents and that the dinner her mommy was cooking is for her party. She ran up to her room and spent the time until dinner dressing up. When she ran downstairs later, she grinned as she saw party decorations. Although they looked weird to her, she was too happy to care.

She could here voices in the dinning room and immediately knew that her father's students must have stayed. Happy that so many people are here for her, she went towards there herself. But, before she could enter the room, she heard a shout of **HAPPY****BIRTHDAY****KEIGO **and the start of a round of singing. She silently entered the room and observed what was happening.

* * *

-Yamanaka Keigo was a new student of the Meijin who just joined 2 months ago. To help him settle into the group and get along with the other students, Touya Kouyou and his wife decided to throw this party for him. Let it not be said that he didn't care about his students. A happy student meant better Go.

* * *

Nothing in the whole room gave any indication that the party was a joint birthday party. Hikari saw that and couldn't help but feel disappointed. She went out the door before the song was even over and faintly heard her mommy apologize for her rude behavior. While in her room, her mind tried to think of a logical reason for her family forgetting her birthday. 'They must be celebrating it tomorrow instead of today' she thought. So deep in thought, she didn't hear her mommy enter her room until she heard someone speaking.

"What is wrong with you today? First, you make all that noise in the morning. Then, disappear for half the day. And then, you were rude to Yamanaka-san when you walked out earlier. You know, today is his special day. He's giving the Pro exams a shot this year. He doesn't need someone being rude to him on his birthday!" Akiko said. There was clear disappointment and anger in her eyes. Akiko didn't understand why her daughter was acting out today.

For a few seconds, nothing was said between the two. Akiko was clearly waiting for an apology. When none came, she turned around after saying "Since you can't behave, you're grounded!" and stalked out the door.

Hikari tilted her head in confusion because honestly, who can expect a 5 year old to know what being 'grounded' means. But, what she did understand was that her family had forgotten her birthday and that tore her apart.

* * *

The next morning, Hikari woke up extremely early; holding on to a faint belief that her birthday was going to be celebrated today instead of yesterday. She stared out the window and watched the sun rise. She decided that unlike yesterday, she would wait until her mommy called her down for breakfast instead of running down right now. After waiting for a few minutes, her 5 year old attention span kicked in and she became really bored. That was when she spotted some books on Go at the side of her room. Remembering the disappointed looks of her parents, Hikari decided that the only way to make them proud was to become more like her brother. She had to do well in school and learn how to play Go.

As she flipped through the now identified Go Weekly Magazine, the door opened. She looked up to see her brother standing by the doorway.

"Mom says breakfast is ready." he said.

"Already?"

"Yea, Father has a convention to go to so we have to eat earlier to make it there on time." He replied.

"Oh, when are we leaving?" Hikari curiously asked.

"We, as in everyone except you, are leaving in an hour." he said smugly.

"How come I don't get to go?" Hikari said with a hurt tone. She wanted to spend time with her family even if they were being meaner recently. 'I guess that means that we won't be celebrating my birthday today.' she thought.

"Because we don't want you there. Dad and mom know that you'll just end up annoying everyone else there. Plus, I heard you got in trouble yesterday. Our parents probably don't even want to see you." Akira said. He noticed his sister holding something and walked into the room to get a better look. "what's that you're holding? it better not be one of my books."

The minute he saw that it was a Go magazine he sneered at her. "You're so disgraceful. Why are you even reading that magazine? You don't even know how to play Go. I bet you can't even read!" he exclaimed as he turned around to leave.

Hikari stared at her brother's retreating back wondering how it was her fault that her family didn't bother to teach her how to play the favored family game. 'I mean, if they could bother to teach onii-chan how to hold a Go stone when he was 2, why can't they bother to teach me even though I'm 5 now?' she thought.

* * *

As Hikari was making her way downstairs towards the kitchen, she decided to ask her parents about her missing birthday problem. Birthdays are very sacred and important to a healthy 5 year old. After she sat down, she ate in silence for a few minutes before deciding to ask her question.

"Mommy? When were we going to celebrate my birthday this year?" She noticed a look form on her mother's face.

"Hmm? Your Birthday? Oh! Umm, well you see we didn't have the time to buy anything for your birthday. We spent most of our time setting up for Yamanaka-san's party. Why don't we celebrate it with Akira's in a few weeks?" Akiko answered and then continued, "Plus, we're spending a lot on your brother's tuition. He goes to a private school you know. Having only one birthday party between the 2 of you should be enough."

Hikari didn't really understant money that much so she couldn't complain about the having only one birthday party part. But, she didn't want to have to wait an extra month each year to celebrate her birthday. "Then next year, can we celebrate both our birthdays on February 28th?" she asked.

"Why do I have to share with HER?" Akira demanded, "It's my birthday. I shouldn't have to share."

"Akira honey, just put up with it for a while. You won't even have to share that much. It'll still be your special day." Akiko placated.

"Fine! But we celebrate on my birthday not in February. Plus, you don't even have a real birthday until 2008."

"We'll celebrate your birthday for real that year then." Kouyou compromised when he saw the hurt look on Hikari's face. "We have to leave soon. Hikari, listen to the babysitter. We'll bring you back dinner."

Hikari watched her family rush out the door before she could even object. The babysitter wouldn't even be here for another half an hour. She wonder why her family coudn't wait that long. She walked back to her room and began to study. She really wanted to impress her parents so that she could have a real birthday. Although there were a lot of things that her parents said and did that didn't make sense to her, she let it go thinking that it was just adult stuff.

At age 5, her family didn't celebrate her birthday for the first time.

At age 5, Hikari changed from a loud and boisterous child to a quiet and observant one.

At age 5, she was jealous of her brother for the first time.

At age 5, she still loved and believed in her family.

."


	4. Chapter 3

AN: Hey guys hope you enjoy Hikari ages 6 to 7. Comments on how to make the story better are appreciated.

Disclaimer: Still don't own Hikaru no Go

* * *

-2006-

It had the makings of a beautiful day; the sun was shining brightly with no rain clouds in sight and a gentle breeze would appear every now and then. Outside, children of all ages could be seen running around and enjoying the day. But, 6 year old Hikari wasn't like these children. Instead, she sat in her room reading a book that most people three times her age wouldn't even consider buying. Ever since her 5th birthday, Hikari immersed herself in studying, hoping that when she started school her good grades would make her parents proud.

And, with all that reading, she noticed one thing. She never forgot anything she read; be it a small label or an encyclopedia, she always remembered everything. Because of her 'photographic' memory, her brain developed faster than normal. That isn't to say she didn't exercise because she believed that a healthy body is just as important as a healthy brain. With a jog here and there, her body became as fit as a 6 year old's body could get.

Hikari put her book down and gained a thoughtful look on her face. School was going to start soon and she would be going to kindergarten while her brother would be in 4th grade. She frowned a little when she remembered that she wouldn't be going to the same school as her brother, even though it had a kindergarten section. Instead, her parents signed her up at a local school. 'Oh well, it's not like we learn much in kindergarten. They'll probably let me go to the same school as him next year.' she thought.

School started out badly. The reason: bullies. The second these children realized that Hikari would rather read than play with them, she became an instant outcast. Her peers taunted her as her teachers praised her for her advance skills. It hurt at first, but she ignored it. Her whole focus was on impressing her family with her good grades.

And so she got the grades she wanted. But really, how hard is it to get an A in drawing or storytelling. Even so, with her first monthly report card in hand, she happily waited for her mom to pick her up. She waited, and waited, and waited until all the other children had gone home. Even the grade-schoolers, who got out 2 hours after kindergarteners did, were gone.

One of the teachers walked up to her with a concerned look and asked, "Hey there, are you waiting for your big brother or sister? If you are tell me their name and I'll call them for you."

"No, I'm waiting for my mom." Hikari answered.

The teacher frowned at that. The kid looked like a kindergarten student. Didn't they get out of school 3 hours ago? "How about we head to the principal's office and call you mom?"

"Okay, thanks sensei."

As the duo walked towards the office, they chatted about random things. The teacher was secretly impressed with Hikari. She noticed the big words and complex sentences she used and was looking forward to when this child would join the 2nd grade.

At the office, they found the Touya family's house number and called. But, even after 15 minutes, the line was still busy. After talking with the principal, it was decided that the teacher would walk Hikari home. Although normally against school policy for a teacher to take a student off campus without parental permission, school was over and there would be no one left soon.

When they finally reached the house, both of them noticed many cars parked outside, as if there was a party going on. And there was. When Akiko answered the door, Hikari looked inside and saw dozens of people lounging and drinking around. Hikari felt something in her chest 'So, she couldn't pick me up because of a party?'

To top it off, the first thing her mom said after greeting the teacher wasn't a "I'm sorry for forgetting to pick you up." Instead, it was a "Hikari! Did you get in trouble at school? To have a teacher actually escort you home! Why can't you be more like your brother?"

With that, Hikari bowed to the teacher in goodbye and ran up to her room, leaving the teacher to explain everything. Her question as to why there was a party was answered when she saw a banner hanging by the stairs. She knew what happened. The Tengen happened. Her father got his 5th title. She was happy for him, but deep down there was sadness. Sadness because she knew that with another title, her father would spend even less time with her than he already was; sadness that she might be forgotten again like she was today.

And so, the evening went on with well wishers coming and leaving until it was dinner time. She sat at the table watching as father and son talk about Go. And, she couldn't help but feel left out. So, to draw attention onto herself, she reverted momentarily to her past loud self and exclaimed to her family "Guess what? I got good grades on my monthly report card!"

Surprised by her sudden loudness, her family all turned towards her. Her mom gave an absent minded "That's nice dear." Her father gave her a nod. Her brother gave her a sneer and said "Wow. What did you get? An A in napping and A- in snack time?" And without even reprimanding him for talking to her like that, her family went back to their Go conversation.

Hikari stared at her family for a few moments before finishing her food. She slowly made her way upstairs deep in thought. She came to a conclusion. To impress her family, she'll need more then good grades. She's going to need Go. And with her good memory, it was easy. Her family being so Go oriented, it was all too easy to find Go basics books and the random kifus laying around.

Weeks came and passed with Hikari doing nothing but studying Go. She had a plan, she would study hard and become good at Go. Then, she would surprise her family with her knowledge and they would all be nice to her. At school, the taunting continued. But, instead of calling her a nerd, they started taunting her for learning about an 'old man' game. Every month, she continued to show her good grades to her parents until one day her brother snapped "Who cares! Stop announcing you grades all the time!" She looked at her mom's face and saw a bit of annoyance in it.

The next week came her brother's first semester report card and he strutted around like a peacock showing it off to their parents. She saw her mom light up and congratulate Akira for getting such good grades. Hikari too a peek at the report card and expected to see straight As. But instead, she just saw barely above average grades. Apparently, 4th grade is just that hard. Starting from that day, she stopped showing them her grades, only telling them when they asked.

At age 6, Hikari started on her journey in school and Go

At age 6, she discovered her 'photographic' memory

At age 6, she had no friends

At age 6, Hikari still wanted to impress her family

* * *

-2007-

Hikari was so happy today. Her parents just gave her a computer! Well, it was more like her parents got Akira a new computer so they gave her the old one. She hadn't been this happy in a while. As a first grader, her parents deemed her old enough to walk home by herself. They made it out as her getting more responsibility, but Hikari know the real reason. First grader's get out of school later than kindergarten students did. Her mom couldn't pick both her and her brother up since they went to different schools.

School, that was another thing that made her frown. She had thought that when she became a first grader, she would go to the same private school her brother went to. Apparently her parent's couldn't afford to send her there. Hikari went through school.

Well anyways, the reason that her parents got the new computer for her brother was because he successfully passed the Pro exams on his first try with only one loss to some Insei person. And the loss wasn't even because he actually lost; he just never bothered to show up for the last match. People were already hailing him as the next Touya Kouyou, winner of 5 titles. But, Hikari knew the truth. Akira wasn't as strong as they thought. His last match was supposed to be between him and an Insei who missed his first 2 matches because of an accident, but slaughtered everyone else he faced. Akira didn't want to play him for fear of losing. So, he played it off as being nice and letting this guy become a Pro.

Hikari frowned a little and mentally called her brother a coward. A true player wouldn't mind losing as long as he played a great game. She was busy setting up her new computer when she heard her mom yell "Hikari? We're leaving. Dinner's in the fridge just heat it up when you want."

Her family was going out to celebrate Akira's accession into Pro leagues. But apparently, she was too 'young' to stay out so late and was therefore left at home so she wouldn't be tired. Things like that were happening more and more often these days: her family going off and conveniently forgetting they had a second child. She wished they would pay more notice to her and occasionally she would try and get their attention. But hey, she may be desperate for attention, but she wasn't a masochist. She's not going to repeatedly try only to be shot down again and again. She doesn't want her heart to hurt even more. But she didn't care that much today; she was too busy with her new toy.

After an hour or so of messing with the computer, Hikari was finally able to get the internet working. Thank God she read a How To book on this last week. She was brimming with excitement. This would be the first time that she used the internet! So, to commemorate this occasion, she decided that the first thing she would do on it would be Go related. And, what better way than to look up her own father on Google?

There were hundreds of websites and pages dedicated to him. "But of course" she said, "even though not many people like Go, someone wining 5 titles would still be talked about a lot."

As she scrolled down a random page, what she saw made her seethe.

Meijin- 36 million yen

Tengen – 15 million yen

Judan – 12 million yen

Oza – 14 million yen

Gosei – 7.7 million yen

'That was how much her dad was making every time he defended his title! Some of those he's had for years! There's no way that we can be too poor to send me to a private school too! There's no way we have no money for a birthday party for me every year!' Hikari mentally screamed. What was her family playing at? Was this their way of telling her that she wasn't good enough for them to spend money on? With thousands of questions in her head, she decided to let off some steam. Grabbing her running clothes, she went outside for a jog to clear her mind.

And from that day on, she stopped. She stopped trying so hard to impress her family. Her grades dropped from the highest to just average. She spent more time playing sports and the only good thing about doing that was that she finally made some friends. But, she couldn't stop playing Go. It was already an obsession. Maybe it's the family genes or something.

Her new goal in life was to become a Go Pro. Not to make her parents proud or anything like that. No, she wanted to become a Pro to show her family up. And, in order to do that, she had to play against opponents. Studying Kifu was good and all, but she needed to play games to improve. Insei was out of the question because she had no money and her parents would undoubtedly not pay for her. Go Salons were too far for her to get to and many of her father's students went to the nearby ones. So, her only option was NetGo, something she heard her brother mention once at the dinner table.

So, with an new resolve, she made her own account. She thought of a good username for herself. "Sai" meaning talented, and that's what she'll be. Talented in this world of Go. Talented enough to rise through the ranks and destroy her opponents.

At age 7, Hikari stopped vying for her parent's attention

At age 7, she learned of the lies her parents told

At age 7, she made her first friends

At age 7, Hikari made "Sai"

At age 7, Hikari took her first steps towards greatness


	5. Chapter 4

AN: Sorry if this doesn't make sense or seemed forced. I kinda lost some of my inspiration for this story. Still comments are appreciated. Also, the things I said about Shusaku are made up.

Disclaimer: Don't own Hikaru no Go

* * *

Kuwabara Torajiro was a great man. Born to merchants in Innoshima, he developed a liking for Go at an early age. By the age of 8, he already played at a professional level.

Torajiro's parents died in a fire that robbers set after raiding their house and was left an orphan. He joined the Honinbo School of Go and slowly moved through the ranks and became a Pro. And when he reached his 5th dan, he was officially named the heir to the Honinbo Family and renamed Honinbo Shusaku.

He always had a soft spot for the needy and would use the money he earned while playing Go to help them. He funded hospitals and orphanages. The people loved him. His kindheartedness turned criminals into upstanding citizens.

As he continued to rise through the ranks, people naturally became jealous. People who bet against him in games lost a lot of money and the players he beat lost a lot of pride. After all, they were beat by a young upstart! That was when people decided to put him in his place. Little things happened at first: a flower pot almost hitting him or garbage being dumped in his yard. Then things escalated as he continued to win games. Death threats were not uncommon.

The people who loved him became worried for his safety and it was decided that he needed more protection. So, out of all the people he helped and saved, volunteers formed a group to protect him. And protect him they did; hired attackers were sent packing before they could even reach Shusaku's home.

During his later years in life, Shusaku began to realize the corruption in the government. He would see government officials flaunt and abuse their power. Towns were left poor, bandits raided homes, and bribes were made. This left him sick to the bone. As he became more famous and rich, he was invited to join the 'upper society.' And, the things he saw these people do disgusted him.

But, what could he do? He was just a Go player, albeit a rich Go player, but a Go player nonetheless. He had no real power to do anything. And then, a solution came to him. Shusaku always had a big sense of justice after what happened to his parents. So, he decided to create a group of people who would almost be like a Japanese version of Robin Hood. There were four important things that needed to be addressed in order for that to happen, and Shusaku addressed them all. He had the money to fund it and he found a location for a base. He had volunteers that would gladly work for him and he had the support of the people.

He knew that running a group like that would be hard and he needed to be a good strategist so they would never be caught. But, Go is a strategy game and Shusaku was a master of Go.

Slowly, his group built up over time and became an organization. They hid in the shadows as they helped the citizens of Japan and soon they were named The KAGE Organization. Their main base was on Innoshima to commemorate the beginning of their leader's justice. To make sure that the name his parents gave him was also remembered, he founded the organization under the name Kuwabara Torajiro. And with time, even after the death of its founder, KAGE continued to grow.

Today, KAGE takes in talented people starting as early as 5 years old. Most of these people are from unfortunate circumstances who, if not found by KAGE, would not have been able to become as good as they are today. KAGE has a base in every major country and has people in every line of business. They went underground about 50 years ago when they deemed the government good enough and are waiting for a time when they are needed again.

Since they are now an underground group, they can't just go around broadcasting that they want new members. So, a test was designed. They used their power to make it so that a good percentage of schools gave their students this test, thinking that it was just an aptitude test. When possible candidates are found, scouts are sent to observe for a few days. And, when the scouts are satisfied, they send in someone to pop the question.

* * *

-2007-

Hikari walked herself home after a day of tests. Every six years, the school was required to give all students, no matter what grade they are in, an aptitude test. The questions varied and were also designed to see which students were advanced and which needed more help. But, unlike the other students who wanted to do the best they could, Hikari didn't really care about the tests. She wasn't planning on going to college or anything like that. All she wanted to do was concentrate on her Go and become a Pro. So, instead of answering every question to the best of her ability, she just answered every fifth question. She calculated that that would give her an average score.

Today was the last day of school before Christmas Break and she couldn't wait to play more NetGo. Ever since her discovery months ago, she had taken to spending as little time with her family and as much time in her room as possible. Which, considering how little her family seemed to remember her, wasn't that hard. Hikari never confronted her parents about the things she read because deep down, she wanted to think that they still cared. She remembered the promise her dad gave her years ago: that they would definitely celebrate her birthday when she turned 8. 2008 was a leap year so her real birthday date would come. Even if they did lie to her about the money issue, as long as they keep that promise, it'll show that they still love her.

When she got home, her family was out again. According to the note that they actually bothered to write, all Pros and their families were invited to a Christmas party hosted by the Japanese Go Institution. Being a title holder, her father was obligated to show his face early to prepare. Her parents pulled Akira out of school early but not her because they didn't want to hurt her education. The note then went on to say that she would have been bored because she wouldn't have understood what the people talked about.

Hikari sighed and went to her room. If most of the Pros were at the party, then the only people on NetGo would be amateurs. The second she logged on, she was swamped with requests. She had been busy these last few months and had gained the recognition of the top NetGo players. As she cancelled the requests, she saw a name that irritated her.

'AkiraT.' has challenged you.

The part of her that wanted to crush her brother made her accept the challenge. She knew that she was being childish. After all, that person couldn't possibly be her brother. He was with their family happily enjoying the party. Still, she enjoyed the feeling that she got when her opponent resigned halfway through the match.

'Sai' was hailed as a genius in the forums. The thing that was most amazing about him was that he had no set playing style. Every opponent would face a different style. In the beginning, it was speculated that 'Sai' was actually a group of people playing on the same account. Then, people said that 'Sai' was a Pro who was bored. But the more experienced players noticed that 'Sai' was new to Go. 'Sai' played as if he were trying to find the best style that suited him; like he was experimenting to see which was the best way for him to play.

And through it all, 'Sai' never lost a single game. "Sai" was an enigma.

Christmas came and passed. Like before, the amount of presents she got couldn't even be compared to what Akira got. But, she was happy that her parents got her anything, even if it was just school supplies. And on New Year's Eve she sat in her room looking out at the stars. Since she was so young, she wasn't allowed to go see the fireworks the park set up. Just another thing that wasn't fair since Akira has been going to see the fireworks since he was 5. As the clock stuck midnight, Hikari silently vowed that this new year would be different.


	6. Chapter 5

AN: new chapter hope you guys like it. I know some of the things don't make too much sense so tell me if it seems too forced. Reviews and comments are appreciated.

AN2: Hikari will still play Go but I wanted to know if you guys wanted me to detail the game or if you just want me to be like: the game started and she won ten minutes later.

Disclaimer: Don't own Hikaru no Go

"speaking"

'thinking'

* * *

Yagami Misaki stared incredulously at the man sitting across from her.

"You called me in here just to look at some kid's results? They aren't even that good! She only answered 1/5th of them right!" the woman complained. The 23 year old red head was a prodigy. Although prodigies were common in KAGE, many people would agree that even among prodigies, she was a prodigy. She had been recruited into the organization at the age of 13, a little old compared to the other recruits. But, in the 10 years that she has been with the organization, she has risen to become the youngest person to be promoted to Rank 5 in history.

**-Info-**

KAGE's ranking structure is based on numbers starting from 12 for new recruits to 1 for the Commander. The members all start out learning the same things at Rank 12 and slowly, as they rise in the ranks, their learning becomes more specialized.

At Rank 9, people are required to choose which Division they want to join.

At Rank 5, the person is promoted to vice captain of his/her squad.

At Rank 4, a person becomes the captain of his/her own squad.

At Rank 3, the member becomes head of their Division.

At Rank 2, the person is made one of the advisors for the organization.

**-End-**

"Calm down for a sec Misaki and look at this test. Doesn't it seem similar to say I don't know, your test before you were recruited?" the man asked.

"Lemme see" Misaki said as she grabbed the test again. "The little trickster!" she said as her eyes widened.

"You see it too right? She only got 1/5th of the questions right because she only answered 1/5th of the questions. But that's not all. Unlike others who answer only the first 50 questions, she answered every 5th question. The difficulty increases as the test goes on. She even answered a question that most high schoolers got wrong!" the man said with excitement. "I would have missed her test all together if I didn't happen to glance at it while looking at another boy's test with the same last name" he admitted.

"Oh? Who were you looking for?" the woman asked with interest. KAGE looks for the best and brightest in today's society. Sometimes, these kids with talent end up famous. KAGE still recruits these people but give some leniency to them. For example, the famous American pianist Alexander Tanner is apart of the organization.

"Touya Akira, the Go player. Go is a strategy game and if he had done well on the test, he would have been perfect for the Intelligence Division. But, he didn't quite meet our expectations. His sister, however, did."

"Well, I'll observe her for a few days before asking. This is her address right? I'll contact you when I have more info." Misaki said as she left the room.

* * *

-2008-

The new year came and went. Hikari returned to her usual daily routine: wake up, go to school, go home, do homework, eat dinner while hearing her family talk amongst themselves, and play NetGo. The days passed and too soon, it was nearing the end of February. And, the only think Hikari could think about was her birthday because she knew that this birthday could make or break her connection with her family.

So preoccupied with her thoughts, Hikari never noticed that she was being observed. Everyday for two weeks, she was being shadowed where ever she went. Her school records were looked into and her internet activity was monitored. But, it didn't take her too long to realize that she was being followed. Occupied as she was, Hikari was still super observant. She noticed the car that was never seen before in her neighborhood follow her to school. She noticed people staring at her. And, right when she could take it no more, she was approached by one of the people that has been loitering around both her school and neighborhood.

Hikari was tasked with cleaning duties the day before her birthday. As she was walking out of school, a woman walked up to her. Now, like every child, Hikari had been told the dangers of talking to strangers. But, she was too curious to run away. She wanted to know if she was really being followed and why. Although, she wasn't too curious to look for escape routes that she could take should the stranger prove to be dangerous.

As she walked towards the child, Misaki took note of the way the child's eyes moved back and forth. 'Looking for ways to escape are we? She's pretty smart.' Misaki thought as she walked closer.

"You are Touya Hikari right?" Misaki asked.

"Who wants to know?" came the girls snarky reply.

"A little careful, aren't we? You don't have to be so jittery. I'm not going to hurt you; I just want to talk to you." the 23 year old calmly said.

"Can't be too careful with strangers; especially ones that follow someone around." Hikari snapped back. She wasn't scared per se. After all, they were at a school. One loud shout and teachers would come running out to see what was going on. But, the woman in front of her was no ordinary person and Hikari could tell. The lady had an aura surrounding her that made her seem untouchable.

"You're right. Smart little girl aren't you? How did you know that we were following you?" Misaki watched in amusement as her little companion twitched at being called a 'little girl.'

"I didn't. I knew that I was being followed but not by who. You just confirmed it for me. So, what do you want?" came the reply.

'She's perfect for our Organization. Smart yet able to hide her intelligence. Not too trusting yet still able to make friends. Now, how best to approach this. From what I remember, she plays NetGo a lot. I know the perfect way to do this!' Misaki thought with a grin. "I just want to tell you a story. Just listen until the end okay?"

"Fine. But I'm leaving right after." the little girl responded.

"No problem. Now, have you ever heard of Kuwabara Torajiro?"

"No, am I supposed to know who he is?" Hikari asked.

"Hmm, well you might have heard of his second name, Honinbo Shusaku."

"The Go player?" Hiakri asked with interest in her eyes. Lately, she had been looking more into Shusaku's kifus. His plays intrigued her, especially the way he always won his game as white and the unusual first moves he played as black.

"Right. He did play Go, but let me tell you about some of his other feats." Misaki started as she told a condensed version of Kuwabara Torajiro's life. When she got to the part about the creation of KAGE, she took note of the disbelieving look on the kid's face.

"So, why did you tell me all that lady?" Hiakri asked as the story finished.

"Lady? Oh I never gave you my name did I? Well, I'm Misaki. As for why, I'm sure someone as smart as you figured out already right?"

"You're recruiting me?"

"That's right. My men and I have been observing you for the past couple weeks and we have decided that you would fit perfectly into our Organization." Misaki explained.

"Are you sure you want me? I would have thought that you guys would want my brother instead. After all, he is the Go prodigy." Hikari asked.

"It's you we want. You brother didn't qualify. Just because he can play Go doesn't mean he is good enough to be in KAGE. But I have to say, the way you anwered on your test almost made us miss you. Pretty clever."

"Test? The one we took before winter break? So that's like an entrance exam or something? How does it work?"

"Kind of, but you don't have to worry about that right now. All I'm going to tell you is that you have one week to decide whether or not you want to join. Don't worry about what your parents would think. Don't worry about what is gong to happen to you education. Just think about wheter or not you will join. If you say yes, we will talk about your arrangements."

"What happens if I say no?" the girl questioned.

"You'll never see us again." Misaki answered. "And before you say it, we won't care if you tell others about KAGE. No offense, but no one is going to believe an 7 year old about a secret organization. Just think about it and give me call. I'm the only one on the contact's list." she said as she tossed a cell phone towards Hikari, who caught it with her left hand.

Hikari watched as Misaki walked away. Part of her still doesn't believe what the lady said. But another part of her wants to believe that KAGE is real: that she has a chance for a better life.

Hikari spent the whole night thinking about two things: whether or not she should accept the offer and whether or not her family would remember her birthday. It wasn't a surprise when she noticed that no one greeted her differently when she sat down to eat breakfast. Nor was it a surprise when no word of a party was mentioned.

But, Hikari took it all in stride. After all, she was used to it. There was still a small part that believed that when she came back home from school, there would be a surprise waiting for her. And there was, just not the one she was waiting for.

At school, her classmates and teacher wished her a happy birthday. They were all clamoring about how special her birthday was because it came only once in four years. Her teacher had said that since it was so rare, it made it all the more special. Hikari couldn't help but disagree with that. If she was born on a normal day, maybe her family wouldn't forget her as often.

Sad thoughts aside, she did enjoy the mini party that her classmates threw for her. The candy and cards they got her meant a great deal to her. With a lollipop in her mouth, she made her way home, steeling herself for what awaited her. 'I wonder if today will be different.' she thought.

And, as mentioned earlier, she was surprised by what was there. At home, instead of a party that she didn't expect but wanted, there was only a note.

**Hikari**

**Akira has his first game for the Honinbo League today in Kyoto. There's no more food in the house. We will be back with dinner to hopefully celebrate. Don't forget to do your homework and finish your chores.**

**Mom and Dad**

All Hikari could do was stare at the note. Her denial instincts kicked in and her mind interpreted the note as saying that her family would come home with dinner to celebrate her birthday. And so, Hikari waited, and waited, and waited. Until it was eight o'clock and her stomach was grumbling. She didn't want to eat any candy for fear of spoiling her appetite. She jumped out of her chair when she heard her house phone ring. Caller ID showed that it was her mom and hope swelled through her chest.

"Hello?"

"Hikari! I told you that when you answer the phone, you are supposed to say 'Touya residence, who would you like to speak to?' It is the polite way to answer!" her mom's voice came through.

"Sorry mom but I saw your name on the Caller ID so I thought I didn't have to."

"Why can't you listen like you brother does." Hikari could her mom sigh.

"Why are you calling mom? Are you gonna be home soon?"

"No, we won't be home until midnight. You should probably go to sleep."

"What about dinner mom? I thought you guys were going to come home with food to celebrate?"

"Celebrate? There's nothing to celebrate. Your brother had his first lost today and your father and I are doing everything we can to make him feel better. He finally started feeling better and asked to eat at that famous sushi restaurant in Kyoto. We're standing in line right now."

"But what am I gonna eat for dinner?"

"Hikari! Stop being so selfish! Your brother just experienced his first lost today! Be more understanding. As for food, I'm sure there's something lying around the house that you can eat. By the way, did you finish you homework and chores?"

"Yes..mother*" came a crisp reply. A shout of 'Number 67' could be heard in the background.

"That's our number. Bye Hikari."

Hikari stared at the phone as her mom, no Akiko, hung up. Something in her just wilted away the second the conversation ended. She went upstairs to do the only thing that could help her deal with her frustrations: playing NetGo and crushing her opponents. She wasn't hungry anymore.

The now 8 year old finished her third game and slowly climbed into bed. "Happy Birthday to myself I guess" she muttered. At the corner of her eyes, she spotted the cellphone sitting on her desk. On a whim, she opened the contacts list and called the only number listed.

At age 8, Hikari used a cellphone for the first time.

At age 8, her classmates celebrated her birthday for the first time.

At age 8, she stopped referring to her Akiko and Kouyou as mom and dad. Out loud they will be mother and father but inside, they will always be Akiko and Kouyou.

At age 8, she was introduced to KAGE

At age 8, Hikari officially hated her family and her life.

* * *

*I hope some people noticed the transition that happened with Hikari's use of the way she refers to her mom and dad. In the beginning, she uses mommy and daddy like all kids do. Then, when she notices the way she is treated, she starts using mom and dad. Although most kids grow out of using mommy and daddy, they don't change to using mom and dad until usually thier teenage years. Then, when she hears that her birthday was forgotton agai, everything snaps and she starts calling her parents mother and father as a colder way of refering to them out loud. In her mind, they are Akiko and Kouyou because she no longer feels like they are her parents.


End file.
